Today is the last day of Women's History Month, and I wanted to take the time to share some of the awesome women whose work and stories have inspired me. Of course, it doesn't have to be Women's History Month to celebrate women, but Women's History Month is a great reminder to do so.
*Amended post somewhat to focus on female creatives
Aretha Franklin
You better put some R-E-S-P-E-C-T on her name- Franklin was not only a singer/songwriter, among other things she was a Civil Rights activist. The love of her music crosses over age groups, and many young people will recognize her music from its use in popular movies/shows.
"American history wells up when Aretha sings. Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R&B, rock and roll- the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty, vitality, and hope." (Barack Obama, in an interview with The New Yorker)
Lina Iris Viktor
Viktor is a British-Liberian visual artist and performance artist. Her work is nothing short of captivating.
"Her photography, painting, and sculptural installations are infused with cultural histories of the global African diaspora and preoccupied with multifaceted notions of blackness: as colour, as material and as socio-political consciousness. To Viktor, black is the proverbial materia prima: the source, the dark matter that birthed everything."- Autograph.org.
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is well-known, so I'm sure she's not new to you. I just wanted to highlight this Nobel Prize-winning author and her work, which cast a light on the Black experience in America.
Margaret Atwood
Atwood is the author of several books, most notably the book Handmaid Tale, which was later adapted into a popular television show. Atwood is also a poet and essayist. Her work focuses on gender and social/environmental issues.
Jessica Walter
Of course, I had to highlight Emmy award-winning actress, Jessica Walter, who sadly, passed away recently. Walter, who began acting in the 70's, starred in many notable productions including recent pop culture favorites, Arrested Development and Archer.
Parris Goebel
Goebel wears many hats- she's a singer, actress, dancer, director, and a very popular choreographer. She has choreographed dances for singers such as Rihanna and J Lo and has expanded from choreography on music videos to doing halftime show and fashion show choreography. If you use Master Class, Goebel has a class about creativity in choreography.
Of course, these are just six women who I consider inspirational, there are many more who are outside the realm of the arts world, especially those who are not well-known but who have worked to uplift marginalized communities, fought for women's rights, and for the equality and safety of people of color.
Who are some women you admire- those in the creative world and beyond?
